Michael Plumb named new editor-in-chief of The Current

MBA student Michael Plumb, editor-in-chief of The Current, will focus on student input during his term. (Photo by Sara Bell)

Walk into The Current’s newsroom on the third floor of the Millennium Student Center, and Michael Plumb will be eager to show you around.

The freshly painted walls, conference table he refurbished himself and upgraded multimedia room are all points of pride for the new editor-in-chief of the University of Missouri–St. Louis’ independent student newspaper.

With a renewed and expanded approach to student engagement, Plumb hopes these interactions become part of The Current’s everyday culture, driving a better product for the paper’s readership.

“I really want to try to get more insight with the students and what they want,” Plumb said. “I want to try to do what is really hard for UMSL – or any school – which is to get more feedback from the students. Every time I go talk to a professional, it always seems to be the same advice, ‘Get back from the students verbally what they want.’ It’s just hard to find. If we could increase that in any form that would be nice so we know what to provide.”

He hopes to receive this feedback through open meetings and by simply conversing with students, faculty and staff he meets on campus. He will also build on the paper’s successful programs such as “What’s Current Wednesday,” a monthly forum to discuss current events. Increasing The Current’s social media presence and producing more multimedia content will also be top priorities.

“It’s interesting trying to get everyone to work together,” Plumb said. “You have a lot of artistic types with a few business-minded people and a few creative types. Each job is hard, and trying to get everything to work together is a lot of…